How is History Employed in a Work of Medieval Political Thought? Harold’s 1062/63 Campaign in the Policraticus of John of Salisbury and Welsh Question Through the Eyes English the Twelfth Century.

Year 2023, , 23 - 60, 30.12.2023

Fatih Durgun

https://doi.org/10.20519/divan.1320422

Abstract

Policraticus, which was completed by a leading English thinker and cleric John of Salisbury in 1159, is precisely one of the outstanding works of medieval political thought. This work mainly discusses how a good ruler should act to establish better and just governance by eliminating the corruption in the court through examples from history. However, the use of the examples from English history to justify the basic message of Policraticus has not been adequately analysed as compared to the studies referring to John of Salisbury’s interest in Antiquity and history of Christianity. The purpose of this article is to analyse the narrative of John of Salisbury in the Policraticus on the Welsh Expedition of Harold, the Earl of Wessex, in 1062/1063 regarding the lack of interest in the analysis of examples from English history. In this context, it will be revealed with its political and religious dimensions that negative language about the Welsh employed in John’s narrative directly stems from the rise of English expansionism in the twelfth century. Accordingly, this article will contribute to better understanding of how historical examples can have functions in the texts of political thought.

Keywords

John of Salisbury, Policraticus, England, Wales, Middle Ages, the Earl of Wessex Harold.

Bir Ortaçağ Siyaset Düşüncesi Metninde Tarih Nasıl Kullanılır? Salisburyli Johannes’in Policraticus Adlı Eserinde Harold’un 1062/63 Seferi ve İngilizlerin Galler Meselesi

Abstract

12. yüzyılın önde gelen düşünürlerinden İngiliz din adamı Salisburyli Johannes tarafından 1159 yılında tamamlanan Policraticus, Ortaçağ siyaset düşüncesinin en temel metinlerinden biridir. Bu eser, iyi bir yöneticinin, etrafındaki yozlaşmayı bertaraf ederek nasıl daha iyi ve adil bir yönetim tesis edebileceğini özellikle Antikite ve Hristiyanlık tarihinden verdiği örneklerle tartışır. Bununla birlikte, zengin içeriğiyle birçok yönden tarihçilerin ilgi odağında olmasına ve farklı yönlerine dair geniş bir literatür oluşmasına rağmen Policraticus’ta İngiliz tarihinden örneklerin, eserin temel mesajı etrafında neden ve nasıl kullanıldığı yeterli düzeyde analiz edilmemiştir. Bu makalede, Policraticus’ta Wessex Earl’ü Harold’un 1062/1063 tarihlerinde gerçekleştirdiği Galler Seferi’nin anlatısı eserin temel mesajı çerçevesinde değerlendirilecektir. Bu bağlamda, Salisburyli Johannes’in bu sefere ilişkin inşa ettiği anlatıda Gallilere yönelik kullandığı olumsuz dilin 12. yüzyılda yükselen İngiliz yayılmacılığından kaynaklandığı siyasi ve dinî boyutlarıyla ortaya konulacak ve bunun üzerinden tarihî örneklerin siyaset düşüncesi metinlerinde nasıl bir işleve sahip olabileceklerinin anlaşılmasına da bir katkı sunulacaktır.

Keywords

Salisburyli Johannes, Policraticus, İngiltere, Galler, Ortaçağ, Wessex Earl’ü Harold

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